1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a gun-shaped controller to be connected to electronic devices such as a video game machine, and particularly to a gun-shaped controller suitable for being used in gun games whereby characters displayed on a monitor screen are shot as targets.
The present invention further relates to a game device comprising a gun-shaped controller imitating, for example, bazookas, rocket launchers, grenade launchers, and torpedoes, a game machine for processing game programs in accordance with instruction signals from the gun-shaped controller, and a display means for displaying pictures from this game machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Pursuant to the diversification of video game software in recent years, various controllers-from conventional controllers having instruction buttons and cross-shaped keys to joystick-type controllers and gun-shaped controllers-are out on the market corresponding to the game software to be used. In Patent Publication No. 2686675, for example, disclosed is a gun-shaped controller, which is a model gun, for a gun game.
This gun-shaped controller for a gun game comprises a trigger lever similar to an actual gun to which a player""s finger is placed, and a light sensor for detecting the flashing light from a CRT screen is provided to the tip of this gun-shaped controller. When the player pulls the trigger lever of the controller, the CRT screen instantaneously becomes a white screen in order to detect the impact position and emits flashing light. This white screen is realized by raster scanning. When the raster light appears at the coordinate position on the CRT display indicated by the light sensor, the light sensor detects this light and the controller detects the impact position by reading the X-Y coordinates of the raster scanning at such time. The game machine thereby judges whether the impact position coincides with the shooting target, and the game is progressed in accordance with a hit or a miss.
As an operation means on the player""s side in this type of gun-shaped controller for gun games, the present situation is that other than the trigger lever mentioned above, provided is merely a button or the like for starting the game. Therefore, the mainstream of gun games using this controller is an orthodox shooting game whereby a player directly shoots at targets on the monitor screen.
As a variation of this type of game, there is a shooting game where a character, such as a police officer, appears on the monitor screen in place of the player and successively shoots the enemies appearing on the screen. Nevertheless, this character is either fixed to a prescribed position within the screen or, even if it were able to move, the movement is predetermined by the program and the like. Thus, this type of game is also no better than a simple shooting game.
Accordingly, game devices employing these gun-shaped controllers are also no better than a simple shooting game, and therefore lack amusement.
An object of the present invention is to provide a gun-shaped controller capable of increasing the variation of the game software to be used and performing highly amusing games.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a game device enabling a game development with enhanced amusement by employing the gun-shaped controller.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a game device enabling a virtual sensation in accordance with the situation during such game development.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting instruction signals pertaining to the game development with respect to the game image displayed on the screen of a display means, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller comprises integrally an operation key for transmitting, as a part of the aforementioned instruction signals, signals instructing a plurality of directions on the screen.
In the gun-shaped controller, preferably, the operation key is manually operable by the operator, and the instruction signals move the objects displayed on the screen in a plurality of directions. As one example, the operation key is a cross-shaped directional key capable of moving the displayed object upward, downward, leftward, and rightward as the plurality of directions.
In the gun-shaped controller, for example, the displayed object is a character or cursor displayed on the screen.
In the above structure, the gun-shaped controller comprises a gun barrel, grip to be held by the player, and trigger lever to be operated by the player, and the operation key may be arranged on the upper part of the grip.
In the above structure, the gun-shaped controller comprises a gun barrel, grip to be held by the player, and trigger lever to be operated by the player, and the operation key may be arranged in the vicinity of the tip of the gun barrel.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the player, and trigger lever to be operated by the player, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller has a contact sensor for detecting the contact of the operator and is provided with a virtual bullet-loading portion for loading bullets virtually based on the contact state of the operator and the contact sensor.
In the gun-shaped controller, the virtual bullet-loading portion is provided to the bottom of the grip and may further comprise a sensor holder for movably mounting the contact sensor on the bottom of the grip.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller has a reload lever provided to the side of the gun barrel and arranged so as to be slidable on the side of the gun barrel, and a virtual bullet-loading portion for virtually loading bullets with the operation of the reload lever.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller is provided with a mounting portion for mounting a memory device. In the gun-shaped controller, the memory device may be provided with a display screen for displaying information.
In the gun-shaped controller, the mounting portion may be provided to the tail protruding to the rear from the grip.
In the gun-shaped controller, a cable may be provided to the rear end of the grip.
In the gun-shaped controller, a cable may be provided to the rear end of the tail.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller is provided with a display screen for displaying information.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller for transmitting predetermined instruction signals comprising a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, and trigger lever to be operated by the operator, characterized in that the lower face of the gun barrel is formed diagonally with respect to the lengthwise axis of the gun barrel from the lower face of the vicinity of the tip of the gun barrel to the portion to be connected with the trigger, and a directional key for instructing directions is provided to the upper part of the grip.
In the gun-shaped controller, an operation button may be provided to the upper part of the directional key.
In the gun-shaped controller, the directional key may be arranged on a face formed continuously to the rear face of the grip and inclined toward the tip of the gun barrel rather than the rear face.
In the gun-shaped controller, it is preferable that the directional key is positioned higher than, at the least, the tip of the trigger lever when the lengthwise axis of the gun barrel is to be the horizontal standard.
In the gun-shaped controller, it is preferable that the directional key is positioned approximately in the center of the widthwise direction of the gun when viewed from the rear of the gun.
In the gun-shaped controller, it is preferable that the mounting portion for mounting a peripheral is formed in the lengthwise axis direction of the gun barrel at the rear of the gun barrel and positioned at the upper part of the directional key.
In the gun-shaped controller, it is preferable that the peripheral is a memory device comprising a display screen for displaying information.
In the gun-shaped controller, it is preferable that the trigger lever is provided to a position easily operable with an index finger of the operator""s hand holding the grip, and the directional key is provided to a position easily operable with the thumb of the operator""s hand holding the grip. Thereby, the operator may operate the gun-shaped controller single-handedly.
The above objects are achieved by a gun-shaped controller comprising a gun barrel, wherein the operator is able to conduct the operation of virtually firing a cannonball toward a game image displayed on the screen of the display means, characterized in that the gun-shaped controller further comprises a recoil mechanism for providing recoil to the gun barrel when the cannonball is fired.
The above objects are achieved by a game device for forming game images in a style wherein an enemy character and main character shown within the screen displayed on the display means battle each other, characterized in that the game device comprises a gun-shaped controller capable of transmitting, at the least, instruction signals for moving the main character on the screen and instruction signals for attacking a target on the game screen, and a game machine for processing a predetermined game program, moving the main character pursuant to the instruction signals from the gun-shaped controller, and progressing and developing the game.
In the game device, the game machine may comprise an image processing means for forming images of the main character successively moving along a predetermined course.
In the game device, the game machine may comprise an image processing means for forming game images from an objective viewpoint to view the main character when provided with instruction signals from the gun-shaped controller for moving the main character, and an image from the main character""s viewpoint when battling an enemy character.
In the game device, the gun-shaped controller may comprise a gun barrel, grip to be held by the operator, trigger lever to be operated by the operator, light detecting means for obtaining light detection signals for detecting the position on the screen of the display means provided to the front portion of the gun barrel, directional key provided to the upper part of the gun barrel for instructing the main character to move left or right, signal processing means for transmitting predetermined instruction signals according to the operation and transmitting light detection signals from the light detecting means, supporting mechanism for rotatably supporting the gun barrel on a pedestal, and recoil mechanism for providing recoil to the gun barrel when the cannonball is fired.
In the game device, the recoil mechanism may comprise a movable mechanism for supporting the gun barrel and supporting mechanism reciprocally and biasing the gun barrel in one direction with an elastic member, rotation/reciprocation converter mechanism for supplying reciprocation to the movable mechanism, and driving source for rotatably driving the rotation/reciprocation converter mechanism.
In the game device, a plurality of operation buttons enabling a push operation of predetermined strokes at the rear of the gun barrel are arranged on the upper part of the pedestal supporting the gun barrel of the gun-shaped controller. The game machine may comprise a game processing means for determining the attacking power, destruction power and impact distance of the cannonball in accordance with the operation pattern of the plurality of operation buttons on the virtual bullet-loading portion, and progressing the game in accordance with such determination.
In the game device, the virtual bullet-loading portion comprises an operation button, to which a push operation of predetermined strokes is enabled, for transmitting operation signals of such push operation, locking mechanism for locking the operation button when the operation button is pushed a prescribed number of strokes, and unlocking mechanism for unlocking the operation button when a cannonball is fired by the operation of the trigger lever.
In the game device, the game machine successively forms three-dimensional explosion images of the course of the cannonball impacting, exploding, and disappearing in accordance with the lapse of time, and may comprise an image processing means for applying, to the three-dimensional explosion images showing the course of disappearance, two-dimensional explosion images similarly showing the course of disappearance as a semi-transparent texture.
In the game device, the game machine may comprise an image processing means which, when performing modifying processing to characters as a result of a cannonball explosion and the like, determines the polygon position of the character before modification and the polygon position of the character after modification, and performs interpolation processing of modifying the polygons therebetween based on polygon position information of both characters.
In the game device, the image processing means calculates coordinate x of the vertex of the polygon to be interpolated from the beginning of modification to the completion thereof with the formula of:
xe2x80x83x=a+(bxe2x88x92a)xc3x97(g/t)
wherein a is the coordinate of the vertex of the polygon before modification, b is the coordinate of the vertex of the polygon after modification, t is the total number of steps until completion of modification, and g is the current number of steps.
The aforementioned game device comprises a housing containing the game machine and display means, and gun-shaped controller rotatably secured to a pedestal arranged in front of the display means of the housing via a supporting mechanism.
In the game device, the gun-shaped controller may be structured of a shape imitating a bazooka.
In the game device, on the upper part of the housing, indicators having the same color as the plurality of operation buttons provided to the pedestal supporting the gun barrel of the gun-shaped controller are provided in the same arrangement as the plurality of buttons, characterized in that the indicator corresponding to the operation button may light up when the operation button is pushed a predetermined number of strokes and locked by the locking mechanism, and the indicator corresponding to the operation button may turn off when the operation button is unlocked by the cannonball being fired with the operation of the trigger lever.
In the game device, the game machine may comprise an image processing means for forming image signals capable of respectively displaying a cursor, which displays the moving direction of the main character, on the left and right sides of the screen of the display means, changing the color of the cursor in accordance with the instruction signals and game development, and forming image signals capable of displaying the moving direction of the main character or outline of the situation of the main character during the game development using the combination of the colors thereof.
In the game device, the gun-shaped controller may comprise integrally an operation key for transmitting, as a part of the instruction signal, signals to move, at the least, the main character in a plurality of directions on the screen. Thereby, the operation key of the gun-shaped controller is manually operable by an operator, and the instruction signal may be a signal for moving, at the least, the main character in a plurality of directions on the screen. For example, the operation key of the gun-shaped controller may be a cross-shaped directional key capable of moving, at the least, the main character upward, downward, leftward, and rightward as the plurality of directions.